The present invention relates to the use of certain water-soluble derivatives of vitamin K compounds. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for plant growth regulation with such water-soluble derivatives of vitamin K compounds and plant growth regulating compositions comprising the same.
It is highly profitable from the economical point of view to hasten the harvesttime or to enhance the yield of plants by accelerating the growth of the plants.
We have conducted intensive investigations to develop plant growth regulating compositions from among drugs, food additives, feed additives and the like which have been evaluated as innoxious. As a result, we have unexpectedly found that, by applying water-soluble derivatives of vitamin K compounds to cereals such as rice plants, a variety of garden plants such as fruit vegetables, leaf vegetables, and root vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants, and fruit trees, the growth of the shoots or tops and/or roots of the plants is notably accelerated as compared with that in the case where no such compounds are applied. On the basis of this finding, we have arrived at the present invention.